In the real world, there are plenty of people who react to adversity by staying calm, figuring out what to do next, and then setting out to do it. Their reaction on the mat, as shown, is pretty much exactly what I would have expected of them. In fact they won precisely because they stayed in control more often than the other teams around them.

Just because sitcoms and "reality" shows constantly show people over-reacting to every little thing, doesn't mean that real people do that.

They argued plenty. Because they were the winners they didn't give them a bad edit though. Anyway, however they reacted I still want to see the full version, what they asked Phil and what he told them.

So on the whole race they won: The Express Pass, A trip for two to Grenada, two 2013 Ford Taurus SHO, A trip for two to Costa Rica, A trip for two to Saint Lucia, $20,000 each, A trip for two to New Zealand, $1 million!!!!

So on the whole race they won: The Express Pass, A trip for two to Grenada, two 2013 Ford Taurus SHO, A trip for two to Costa Rica, A trip for two to Saint Lucia, $20,000 each, A trip for two to New Zealand, $1 million!!!!

Four vacations, two cars and of course money!!

Do you realize this means they broke the car curse?

I don't think there was such a thing in TAR really. We only have a few examples compared to Survivor.

Rachel Brown and Dave Brown were crowned the champions of The Amazing Race's twentieth season during Sunday night's two-hour finale broadcast of the CBS reality competition.

The "Married Couple" beat out "Border Patrol Agents and Friends" Art Velez and J.J. Carrell -- who came in second place overall -- and third-place finishers, "Engaged Couple" and former Big Brother houseguests Brendon Villegas and Rachel Reilly. "Dating Divorcees" Vanessa Macias and Ralph Kelley finished in fourth place mid-episode, and therefore, were ineligible to compete in the final twelfth leg of the Race with the Final 3.

Rachel and Dave not only managed to win The Amazing Race, but they also broke the show's record of having the most wins in a particular season. On Monday, the pair talked to Reality TV World about their The Amazing Race experience -- including what they plan to spend their million-dollar winnings on, how they explained making the major mistake of accidentally skipping a Roadblock task at the end of the final leg, and what each member of the couple highly appreciates about their teammate and partner despite how their arguing might appear to viewers.

Below is the first half of our exclusive interview with Rachel and Dave. Check back with Reality TV World tomorrow for the concluding portion.

Reality TV World: Congratulations on your big win you two!

Rachel Brown: Thank you!

Reality TV World: So my first question is what do you plan on doing with the money?

Dave Brown: Things that are honestly quite boring and sensible. We need to pay off our mortgage to have that financial security and stability of not paying it monthly.

Reality TV World: Okay and getting into the Race, how far ahead of Art and J.J. do you think you arrived at the Pit Stop when you won The Amazing Race? And then how far behind Art and J.J. do you think Rachel and Brendon finally arrived?

Rachel Brown: It's hard to say. I would say maybe Art and J.J. were about 20 minutes behind us.

Dave Brown: Twenty and 20 possibly.

Rachel Brown: Yeah.

Dave Brown: I'd say within 45 minutes both teams arrived behind us.

Reality TV World: During the final leg of the Race, you guys apparently didn't follow the marked path and then ended up doing the paddleboard task to the finish instead of going to the Hawaiian-games Roadblock task you were supposed to complete. Could you talk about that a little bit? How do you think you missed that part of the clue and how long did it take you to backtrack and get to the Roadblock task from the Pit Stop after you met Phil Keoghan and he gave you the bad news?

Rachel Brown: I would say that took us about an hour out of the way, and the reason that we missed the correct route marker is because we passed the route marker for the finish before we got to the other one. So we had to pass the one for the final part in order to get to the one with the sledding. So we recognized it and saw it, but we weren't supposed to.

Dave Brown: And again, the clue with the route information -- it didn't necessarily specify a Roadblock in my recollection. It really was, "Go to this location to receive your next clue." So again, we stumbled across a red and yellow flag and our cab driver was somewhat oblivious to where this location was, so we just assumed, "We're here now and this is it."

So we followed the marked path and we were astonished when we noticed the teams lined up and it was so surreal. And then we got on the mat and Phil had mentioned that, "Yes you are the first team to arrive, however, you did not successfully complete a Roadblock."

Reality TV World: So when he told you two that, what exactly was going through your minds? And when you ended up leaving that Pit Stop, you didn't really seem to be defeated at all and you maintained pretty positive attitudes. So were you confident you were still in first place at that point and that's why you didn't freak out?

Rachel Brown: Absolutely not. (Laughs) We thought Phil was just kidding when he said that.

Dave Brown: No.

Rachel Brown: Well, I did. I thought he was kidding, so I was just laughing like, "Oh, good joke, Phil." And he didn't laugh back, so then we realized that, "Oh, wow. We really actually did miss something." And we sat down for a second and Dave thought, "Oh well maybe we didn't complete the ice-shaving thing correctly."

He thought maybe we'd have to go all the way back there and of course, we took the helicopter ride to get to that location. So we were really nervous that we would not be able to complete the Race at all, let alone come in first.

Reality TV World: What was your reaction when you saw Art and J.J. still attempting to complete the sledding Roadblock task when you guys finally arrived there? Did it pump your adrenaline more to win now that you realized you were no longer in first place, or did it deflate the wind in your sails a bit?

Dave Brown: No, we were definitely -- it was reassuring to see another team, because we knew at this point, we were at least competing for either first or that there was another team in the Race.

At any point throughout the course of the Race itself, seeing another team, it's somewhat reassuring because you know that you're competing against another team versus being on your own and not necessarily knowing where you stand with the current teams remaining.

So it was definitely reassuring to see Art and J.J. and know that Art was having such difficulty with the challenge, that according to a local, was much easier for women.

Reality TV World: Yeah, I was just going to ask you a little bit about that. Rachel, you didn't seem to struggle with the sledding task at all, so I didn't know whether Art was just really bad at it or you thought women in general or just lighter people in general had an advantage. So it sounds like you think it was easier for women, right?

Rachel Brown: Well, I think it had to do with the course. So, you really had to balance yourself on that, and if you got off balance at all, you flipped right over. So, yeah, (laughs) it was a good core workout.

Reality TV World: After you guys landed in Hiroshima during the eleventh leg of the Race, you guys were the only team to miss that train, and Dave, you kept saying how stalling one minute could make a big difference and possibly affect the whole outcome of the Race. Could you talk about what happened there? What was the stall, was it just because you couldn't figure out where to buy the tickets? And how much later did the next train leave?

Rachel Brown: We had to buy tickets, so that was the stall. So, since we were the last to buy tickets, we ran up to the platform and the train had already left. It was just pulling away, so that was pretty heart-wrenching.

Dave Brown: Yeah, it was basically again just a matter of seconds, and missing the train transpired into minutes of missing the ferry, and then missing the ferry cost us an entire evening of having to stay at a hospital versus competing with the teams not knowing what was in store.

Rachel Brown: So for seven hours, Dave was sitting there thinking, "Wow, we're out of this Race. The teams are going to be done."

Reality TV World: So since you guys had to wait until the following morning to take the next available ferry, you said it gave you guys time talk out your problems and that you had clear heads going into the rest of the Race. How important do you think that discussion was to you guys ultimately winning The Amazing Race? Did it change your team dynamic drastically, and if you don't mind talking about it, what are some of the things you worked out?

Rachel Brown: Well I think the best thing about Dave and I's relationship is that we can have arguments, but then we squash it right away. We don't let things linger and we don't let it affect us in the long run.

Dave Brown: In some respects, and also from what you've seen on the show with regard to some of our bickering and arguing, much of that, we are actually saying to one another and it's a challenge. But we appreciate the challenge. We both do.

I think that's part of the reason that we're so successful in the Race. We do challenge each other. We push one another and Rachel has no qualms telling me when I'm wrong and I have no qualms with telling her when she's wrong or I feel I'm right.

A lot of people misperceive that as being demeaning or bickering and what have you, which it could be, but you know at times, that's what we appreciate about one another. We're not averse to challenging one another.

Reality TV World: You guys did win eight of The Amazing Race's legs and broke the show's record of most wins during a season. But would you say it's harder to compete as a couple during the Race rather than a team of friends or family, or do you think you actually had an advantage working together as a married couple? How do you think racing as married partners either helped or hurt you?

Rachel Brown: I think it would be so much easier to run with a friend. (Laughs)

Dave Brown: I definitely feel the same way. With a friend, you don't necessarily have the emotional investment that you do in a marital partnership or what have you and being with your spouse, there can be times that marital bickering can be very difficult and trying and not lend itself to solid team work. But I think Rachel and I fought through it...

Rachel Brown: Literally. (Laughs)

Dave Brown: Exactly. (Laughs)Above is the first half of our exclusive interview with Rachel and Dave. Check back with Reality TV World tomorrow for the concluding portion.

This week on the season finale of The Amazing Race, husband and wife team of Rachel Brown and Dave Brown walked away the winners after a thrilling finish.

Although Rachel and Dave set a record on The Amazing Race with eight first place finishes, the husband and wife team nearly lost it all when the two hit the mat in Honolulu but had to complete a required roadblock. Despite the setback, however, Rachel and Dave were crowned the winners of The Amazing Race after retracing their steps to beat boarder patrol agents Art and J.J. and the Big Brother team of Brendan and Rachel.

It was a thrilling finish to the latest season of The Amazing Race.

Following their Amazing Race victory, The Deadbolt spoke with Rachel and Dave to learn more about the final leg, how they felt about some of the drama, and how Rachel got through a rubber chicken challenge in Japan.

THE DEADBOLT: So, have you scheduled all of those trips yet?

DAVE: If only we had the time.

RACHEL: We have to build up vacation time first.

THE DEADBOLT: Did you think it was over when Phil told you about the final roadblock?

RACHEL: Oh, yes! We thought it was doomsday. We thought we were done.

DAVE: It was definitely heartbreaking. We didn’t really know how to react to it. Rachel initially assumed that he was joking and there was no way in hell we were going to choke on the final mat. But my first thought was, did I do something wrong in the ice roadblock? Being a fan of the show, I’d never seen two roadblocks in a single leg before.

THE DEADBOLT: Despite the challenges on a relationship, how tough was it to actually accomplish eight wins?

RACHEL: Well, I think a lot of it came with luck, which person does the roadblock, which taxi driver you get. So a lot of it comes down to luck.

DAVE: But also skill and ability and creating your own luck. For example, the cab driver that we had in Hawaii, we definitely strategically selected the big Samoan gentleman who was obviously familiar with the area.

THE DEADBOLT: Had you kept your alliance with Art and J.J., do you think you still would have won, or would they have slowed you down?

DAVE: I think in some respect it was a perfect breaking point for our supposed alliance. Art and J.J. were a little bit preoccupied with the drama of the other teams and they lost focus on their abilities. I think Rachel and I were able to take full advantage of that and become as successful as we have.

THE DEADBOLT: In the final task, you shook J.J.’s hand. Was that genuine?

DAVE: Yeah, definitely. I have no animosity toward anyone. The only drama that Rachel and I had, every argument and bickering session was aired, so that was a bit difficult. But I didn’t have any qualms with any of the other teams at all. I was a little perturbed that J.J. was hyper-critical of a very tactical decision. With him being a federal law enforcement agent, you would assume he would make a logical decision versus playing so emotionally.

THE DEADBOLT: Rachel, was that rubber chicken challenge hard or easy for you to get through?

RACHEL: It was so funny, I couldn’t stop laughing. It was really hard because after you grabbed the chicken – and it was hard to grab the chicken because I jumped up a bunch of times – they would speed up the treadmill. So you had to run for your life to jump onto that mat. It was fast! I felt so bad for Vanessa.

THE DEADBOLT: Was there anything you wish we saw that wasn’t aired on TV?

DAVE: I have a 13-year old and we spoke about him very highly. He’s truly one of the best people I have ever met. I wish there was a bit more dedicated to him so people could hear about him.

You so deserve that picture and note Prophet. You were their #1 Fan. You defended them through thick and thin. I think it's awesome that Dave and Rachel are acknowledging your support. You should display that new avatar with pride!

You so deserve that picture and note Prophet. You were their #1 Fan. You defended them through thick and thin. I think it's awesome that Dave and Rachel are acknowledging your support. You should display that new avatar with pride!

Thanks TAR Fanatic You're right, they were so nice to do that, they're awesome people!

You so deserve that picture and note Prophet. You were their #1 Fan. You defended them through thick and thin. I think it's awesome that Dave and Rachel are acknowledging your support. You should display that new avatar with pride!

Thanks TAR Fanatic You're right, they were so nice to do that, they're awesome people!

Yeh it's nice to see them acknowledge support and forums in general. Some people can be idiots on forums but there can be some decent thoughts and debate as well, alongside some loyal support. But with the internet in general I think you learn to ignore the more boring people and just listen to the better ones.

Obviously it's impossible to deny they were the most competitive team. I don't think they were the biggest characters as I suppose they were so focussed on the race we didn't see so much on their quirkier side. Rachel could be funny sometimes though.

The last leg of "The Amazing Race" for the Madison couple came Monday, a victory lap of appearances and interviews to talk about winning the CBS reality competition series. The competition actually ended in December, but the pair couldn't tell anyone how they did until the season finale aired on Sunday night.

In addition to winning $1 million, several trips, and his-and-hers cars, the Madison couple lay claim to being the most successful team in 20 seasons, having won a record-setting eight challenges during the globe-trotting competition. They said they appreciated the wave of support they got back home.

"We've gotten such support from Madisonians and Wisconsinites and the military and the Wisconsin Guard," said Dave Brown, a Wisconsin National Guardsmen who served in Iraq. "I mean, to arrive back home today from New York City and have Bucky and the Adjutant General for the state of Wisconsin, Gen. (Donald P.) Dunbar, on site (at the airport) was astronomical. We couldn't expect anything more from those who we care about and those who we live near."

Now they say they're looking forward to getting back to a normal life (although they're thrilled about one more appearance, throwing out the first pitch at the May 19 Brewers game.) Rachel is a project manager at Epic Systems in Verona who travels frequently for work, while Dave is now is an assistant professor of military science at the UW-Madison's ROTC detachment.

The Browns talked with 77 Square about their favorite and least favorite challenges on the Race, the perception the show gave of them as a "bickering" couple, and whether they'd Race again:

Did any of your friends and family every suspect that you won? Did you ever almost slip and let the cat out of the bag?

Rachel: Not at all. It actually became kind of a fun game. I think we misled our friends and family down the wrong direction. We were very nonchalant about everything, and they kept thinking, "Oh, maybe you guys didn't win, maybe something happened."

Dave: We just returned from New York City, and there's what referred to as TARcon, these fanatics that absolutely follow and love the race. One of the individuals claimed to have 100 percent accuracy guessing the winners. I think we deterred him. He said, "Well, I'm pretty confident that the two of you won, because you're in New York, and none of the other teams in the final four are here."

And I said, "Well, Rachel and I are very close to our friends and family. Do you think I would want to spend us winning here with you, or with our friends and family?" He was like, "Dammit!" Completely threw him off.

What was it like watching the show week after week, at these parties? Because you guys were seeing the show for the first time too, right?

Rachel: It was so fun to watch. A lot of stuff, we had no idea that it happened, or how people would be portrayed. It was a little bit nerve-wracking after the edit starting coming out and we were the "bickering couple." We were like, "Oh, no, we don't want to be the bickering couple."

Dave: That truly isn't us. What most people perceive as bickering – and Rachel and I will both attest to this – we perceive as challenging. Both Rachel and I have been very successful at all our aspects of our life – personally, professionally, academically. But one aspect, relationships, had never been a strong point for either one of us. Much of that had to do with the fact that our previous partners would try to placate us. Rachel and I challenge each other, and we appreciate that challenge.

That's just the nature of your relationship, that you push each other.

Dave: We definitely push each other to strive for more. But obviously that's not the day-to-day nature of our lives. But when you're vying for a million dollars, and both of us pride ourselves on being aggressive and intense . . . Obviously the Race, being under time constraints for each episode, probably choose to concentrate on a handful of characteristics for each individual person. And mine just happened to be those that are magnified to the nth degree.

It probably would have been decent had I been racing with another Army officer or a friend. But when you're traveling with your wife, and everybody perceives her to be this "Army wife" and not this equal professional that I know her to be, it doesn't necessarily lend itself to positive remarks from the media for me.

That's one thing that we talked about in the office, Rachel being tagged as an "Army wife" on the show when we knew she had a career as a project manager at Epic Systems. How did you feel about that, Rachel?

Rachel: That is the Number Two question I receive the most. Number One is "Are Brendon and Rachel as annoying as they appear on the show?" (laughs) Everyone at work was saying "Omigosh, I can't believe they called you an Army wife. That just does not do you justice." But I really didn't mind it. A. It's part of our story, and hey, if you're going to give me a million dollars, a bunch of trips and a car, you can call me whatever the heck you want. (laughs)

What was your favorite challenge to do on the show, and what was your least favorite? I'll bet I can guess the least.

Dave: Which one would you suspect would be our least favorite?

Easily the watermelon stacking. (Teams had to stack a perfect 10-by-10 pyramid of watermelons in grueling heat.)

Dave: You got it!

Rachel: That sucked so bad! It didn't even show how bad it sucked. We were there for four hours, stacking, unstacking, stacking, unstacking. It fell down about 15 times. It was just so hot and humid and there's smog in the air. I was throwing up.

Dave: Rachel was vomiting between my legs in the backseat of a cab in Asuncion, Paraguay, with a sound guy and a cameraman, both of whom were just as nauseated by the smog and the heat as well. They could have cared less to video it.

That actually led into one of the worst challenges for me, which was the bottle dancing. As everyone's well aware, my wife can dance. Bollywood, whatever. Obviously Rachel should have done the bottle dance, but she was just out of it physically and mentally, so I was forced to do it.

So what was your favorite?

Rachel: My favorite thing that we did, and it wasn't a challenge, was the safari in Africa. Oh my gosh. The most unbelievable thing that I've ever seen. The animals, the people, the scenery. I want to go back there for sure.

Dave: That was definitely one of the most surreal, majestic experiences of my life. But as far as challenges, I'd have to say the one in Japan with the sumo wrestlers. (Rachel and Dave had to get 30 Japanese strangers to pose for photos inside a sumo wrestler cutout.) I loved it, because you were in among the populace, and you got to mingle with people outside the Race. It was honestly the only challenge that took me outside the Race. Rachel and I are very social people and that allowed us to get out there and mingle. It was awesome.

Have you maintained friendships with other team members after the Race?

Dave: I've actually maintained very healthy contact with many of the other contestants. Bopper, we'll be lifelong friends. He and I probably maintained the best friendship at this point. Elliot and Andrew were just here in Madison, those are my boys for life as well.

During the race itself, you don't get to co-mingle with the other teammates, because they want everything to be on camera, so that being said, you're somewhat sequestered back to your room after each leg.

So do you think it'll be easy to transition back to a normal, not-on-TV life again in Madison?

Rachel: We're actually looking forward to it, to having our Sundays back, where we can sit on the couch and chill out. Not worry about arguing on TV.

Dave: We're actually very excited to bring some normalcy to our lives. I'm ready for the 15-minute clock to expire.

Do you think the race has affected how you guys solve problems as a couple?

Rachel: Before Dave deployed, we worked together really well and our communication was awesome. Then he left for a year, and we became these independent people, didn't depend on each other at all. So I think the Race went to us getting back to that, where we could actually communicate with each other, and realize that we have to depend on each other to be successful.

You know if they do an Amazing Race All-Stars, they're going to knock on your door again and ask you to race. Would you do it?